Eleven-year-old Marilyn Fish, of Gartlet School, lived up to her surname at Watford baths on Monday evening.

Competing in the Watford and District Schools’ secondary girls’ swimming gala, she gained the distinction of setting up a new record for the 33 yards (under 13) freestyle race, twice during the evening beating the previous best time which had stood for 19 years.

In her heat Marilyn reduced the record of 24.2 seconds to 23.5. She was four-tenths of a second slower in the final.

Not content with that, she won for Gartlet the diving title.

[From the Watford Observer of July 11, 1958]

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